


breathe in

by language_escapes



Series: Instead of My Saints 'verse [8]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-18
Updated: 2011-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-27 12:31:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/295897
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/language_escapes/pseuds/language_escapes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emily stopped breathing a long time ago.  Jordan reminds her how.</p>
            </blockquote>





	breathe in

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place shortly after an unwritten story about Emily's canon backstory except in the Instead of My Saints 'verse.

She’s getting her life back together.

She is. It’s hard; she’s the first one to admit it. Elle could only pull her partially out the abyss she’d been spiraling into, and she has to crawl the rest of the way. She has to want this. She has to want happiness.

Emily sits down on the first day of tenth grade chemistry and tries to ignore all the stares. She isn’t wearing black and chains; she’s wearing a simple black t-shirt and jeans. Her nails aren’t painted black; they aren’t painted at all. She sits alone. None of her old friends will talk to her anymore, which in some ways is better. Still, it’s hard to feel like the new girl all over again. She stares at her desk in quiet desperation, trying to remember that no one knows. Only Elle, who is too far away to matter anymore.

A girl sits down next to her. She’s wearing a white tank top with a cardigan over it, and her smile is bright when she looks at Emily. She holds out her hand.

“Hey, I’m Jordan. Is it okay if I sit here?”

Emily suddenly remembers how to breathe.


End file.
